Game device



y 15, 1956- G. R. BELLETT 2,745,213

GAME DEVICE Filed May 10. 1954 H We A1 22;- L BY ATTORNE Y5 United States Patent biW'I'CE GeorgeR. ,Bellett, Fairfax, Califl, assignor to Peter H. Behr, San Francisco, Calif. Application May '10, 1954, serial No. 428,558 7 Claims. (or. 46- 1) This invention relates to games and particularly to a device used in connection with playing the game.

It is an object of this invention to provide a game which combines skillful manipulation with a device which possesses moving parts and readily visible means whereby the player can at all times determine his position and the position of his competitor.

A further object of this invention is to provide a device of this kind which can be played in a competitive manner or which one person can use for his own enjoyment.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a game device of this kind which may be adapted for varying degrees of skill and in which the player may adhere to a predetermined set of rules or in which players or contestants may adopt new sets of rules for their own or varying conditions. o

Other objects and advantages of this game and game device which Ihave made will appear from the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side view partly in cross section of a device incorporating my invention; 7

Figure 2 is a cross sectional detail taken along the line 2 2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a cross sectional detail taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a bottom view of the device illustrated in Figure 1; and

Figure 5 is a side view of the device illustrated in Figure 1 indicating the appearance of the device as the game is being played.

As illustrated in Figure l, I have provided an elongated member which at one end is provided with a handle 11 and which at the other end is provided with the moving portions of the device. Along one side hereinafter called the lower side of the device 10 I have provided a plurality of recesses 12, 13, 14, etc., all of which, as illustrated in the drawings, are of uniform width but some of which are of varying depths. The walls 16 separating the recesses are provided at their outer edges with aligned orifices 17, as illustrated in Figure 2. The aligned orifices 17 are adapted to accommodate an elongated flexible member 18 which, while pliable, may notbe stretched. The flexible member 18 is anchored at 19 and passes through the aligned orifices 17 and around a rotating sheave or pulley member 21, thence back through slot 22 to a point at which it engages a downwardly depending member 23 upon a replica of a racing car, for example, 24. It is to be appreciated that the replica 24 may be of any size, shape or type. The downwardly depending member 23 is maintained in the slot 22 by means of a slotted member 26 which may be secured to the member 10 in any conventional manner. I have also secured at 19 a flexible, resilient, stretchable member 27 to the remote end of which there is secured a ball 28. It will be apparent that if the member 10 is operated in such a manner that the ball 28 is swung therearound the flexible member 27 will tend to wrap itself around the member 10.

2,745,213 Patented May 15, 1956 If it wraps itself around in a predetermined helix it will enter the grooves 12, 13 and 14, and as it enters the grooves 12, 13 and 14 it will engagethe member 18 thereby tending to draw it into the position indicated in Figure 5 This will serve to advance the member 24 toward the handle portion 11. Thus it will be seen that a player of skill will be able to guide the flexible member 27 into successive recessed slots 12, 13 and 14 and thus serve to drive the member 24 forwardly. An unskilled player, however, will not be able to engage successive slo'is' but will miss a few and therefore would not be able to drive a member 24 to a full home or game? position.

The advantage of a stretchable member 27 is that as a player becomes more skillful he will be able to swing the handle 11 with more vigor and thus serve to increase the length of the member 27. This lengthening of the member 27 in eflect increases the operative length thereof so that the member 27 will engage all of the recesses while the less experienced player will not take advantage of the full operative length of the member 27 and even though he is skillful in describing a perfect helix with the member 27 and entering successive slots 12, 13 and 14, the member 27 will be of insuflicient ciperativelength to enter all of the slots. Thus it is seen that a skillful player is one who is able not only to cause the member 27 to enter succes'siv'e slots 12, 13, 14, etc, but is able to play the game with sufficient energy to cause the member 28 to describe the greatest possible are thereby increasing and taking full advantage of the full operative length of the member 27.

Operation of the device may briefly be described as follows: The member 24 is urged to the positionillustiated enerally in Figure I in such a mannerthat the flexible member 18 is taut across the open ends of the slots 12, 13, 14, etc. This may be called the start position. The handle is then actuated in such a manner that the ball member 28 describes an are serving to stretch the member 27 and wrap the same about the member 10. As the member 27 enters successive recesses it draws the member 18 into the recess thereby tending to draw the member 24 to the left as illustrated in Figure 1, until the same reaches the home or game position. The member 24 is prevented from moving by any action other than the pull of the member 18 by virtue of the narrow slot 22. While the side edges of the member 23 do not engage the slot 22 nevertheless the slot 22 is only slightly wider than the diameter of the member 18." The portion 23 therefore will move at the most only a very slight distance before it will tend to cause the member 18 to frictionally engage the side walls of the slot 22 thereby arresting further movement of the members 23 and 24.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that I have provided a game which utilizes skill of the highest order.

It is also obvious that the member 24 may take the form of a type of airplane, motorboat, racing vehicle or any other type of device which is desirable.

It is also obvious that the recesses may all be of the same depth or that they may be of varying depths, depending upon the wishes of the manufacturer to make the game more diflicult or to simplify the same. It is also possible that slugs could be provided to be inserted in selected slots 12, 13 or 14 to provide so-called penalties," etc. These further adaptations and variations of the game and the device do not depart from the spirit of my invention but are meant to be included within the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, an elongated stick, a mobile object adapted to track along one side of the stick from a starting to a finished position, a string attached to the object for moving the same and having the other end attached to said stick, a weight separate from the stick, a cord attached to one end of the stick and to the weight whereby upon waving the stick in a generally circular manner the weight is caused to swing about the stick and the cord wound upon the stick, and means upon the stick responsive to the wrapping of the cord thereon for pulling the string to move the object toward the finished position.

2. A device as in claim 1 in which said last means consists of a series of longitudinally spaced ribs extending along one side of the stick, the ribs providing notches between the same, the notches extending laterally of the stick and being of a width that convolutions of the cord can be wrapped therein, the string having a portion thereof spanning the notches and adapted to be drawn therein when a convolution of the cord is wrapped into a notch.

3. In a device of the character described, an elongated stick, a mobile object adapted to track along one side of the stick from a starting to a finished position, a string attached to the object for moving the same, said string being attached to the stick at one end of the same, a weight separate from the stick, an elastic cord attached to the same end of the stick and to the weight whereby upon waving the stick in a generally circular manner the weight is caused to swing about the stick and wrap the cord upon the stick, and means on the stick responsive to the wrapping of the cord thereon for pulling the string to move the object toward thefinished position.

4. A device as in claim 3 in which said last means consists of a series of longitudinally spaced parallel ribs extending along one side of the stick and providing notches therebetween in which convolutions of the cord can be wrapped, the notches extending substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the stick, the string having a portion thereof spanning the notches and adapted to be drawn therein when a convolution of the second cord is wrapped into a notch.

5. A device as in claim 3 in which said last means consists of a series of longitudinally spaced parallel ribs extending along one side of the stick and providing notches therebetween in which convolutions of the cord can be wrapped, a plurality of holes in the ribs adjacent the outer ends thereof, the string having a portion thereof extending through the holes in the ribs and spanning the notches, said string being adapted to be drawn into the notch when a convolution of the cord is wrapped into a notch.

6. In a device of the character described, an elongated stick, a mobile object adapted to track along one side of the stick from a starting to a finished position, a plurality of lonigtudinally spaced parallel ribs extending along side of the stick and providing notches therebetween, said notches extending substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the stick, means for carrying a portion of the string on the ribs adjacent the outer ends of the ribs whereby said string spans the notches, a weight separate from the stick, an elastic cord attached to one end of the stick and to the weight whereby upon waving the stick in a generally circular mannerthe weight is caused to swing about the stick and the cord wrapped upon the stick, said notches being such that convolutions of the cord can be wrapped therein, the string being adapted to be drawn into the notch when a convolution of the cord is wrapped into a notch.

7. In a device of the character described, an elongated stick, a mobile object adapted to track along one side of the stick from a starting to a finished position, a string attached to the object for moving the same having one end attached to one end of the stick, a weight separate from the stick, an elastic cord attached to the same end of the stick and to the weight whereby upon waving the stick in a generally circular manner the weight is caused to swing about the stick and wrap the cord upon the stick, a plurality of longitudinally spaced parallel ribs extending along one side of the stick and providing notches therebetween in which convolutions of the cord can be wrapped, means for attaching a portion of the string to the ribs adjacent the outer ends thereof whereby the string spans the notches and is adapted to be drawn therein when a convolution of the cord is wrapped into a notch.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

